Manute Bol

TxDoc · May 21, 2002

If you can, you need to watch Real Sports on HBO this week. I knew Manute was going to be on the Fox boxing show, but did not realize why.

Since leaving the NBA he has lost all of his money. Mostly going to help his people in the Sudan. He started the Ring True Foundation--"Manute Bol, the 7-foot-7 center who played 10 years in the NBA, has established a charity to help victims of the civil war that has raged in his native Sudan for nearly 20 years. The Ring True Foundation is dedicated to providing aid to displaced Sudanese families, particularly for the education of their children, many of whom were orphaned by the war and have since been resettled as refugees in the United States.

If you are interested in supporting The Ring True Foundation, you can contact them toll free at 1-866-54-SUDAN.

ESCAPE FROM SUDAN

Last July, Manute Bol, the 7'7" former NBA shot-blocking phenomenon, fled his native Sudan for America, seeking relief from the religious persecution endured by his family for his refusal to denounce his Christianity and accept Islam. With the Sudanese government attempting to block his departure, it had been extremely difficult for Bol to make his exit, and it would be more than eight months before he landed on U.S. soil. The terrorist attacks of September 11 halted the immigration process and stranded his family in Egypt, where he feared for his safety in the Muslim-dominated society. Eventually, with the help of friends and family in the U.S. and a refugee organization, Bol settled in Connecticut, and is now exploring coaching opportunities. Frank Deford visits Bol, 41, to discuss his involvement in the Sudanese Civil War and the harrowing passage back to America, and to ask him what the future holds for the man who wore a NBA uniform in Washington, Philadelphia, Golden State, Miami, and Milwaukee.

Correspondent: Frank Deford.

I really can't tell you the story as well as the segment on the show. It is worth seeing. I met him in Dallas at a fund raiser for the Boy's Club. Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Spud Webb, etc., were there. He was one of the most genuine people I have ever met.